Building a New Scene in Seattle

The early Seattle music scene was driven by the jazz community. It would help launch the career of Ray Charles, give Quincy Jones his start and influence a young Jimi Hendrix. Now the New York Times sheds some light on the contemporary jazz milieu in the city:

“Seattle, a city synonymous with alternative rock, has also been known as an incubator for talented young jazz players who leave town to develop and thrive elsewhere.

‘But the landscape has been shifting because of recent events at the university level and at joints like Cafe Racer,’ Nate Chinen writes. ‘A growing number of young musicians have been focused on building an autonomous scene, something distinctive and homegrown.'”

The Black and Tan Club on 12 Ave and Jackson Street. First called the Alhambra, the jazz club was opened in 1922 and closed in 1966. The name Black and Tan referred to the Asian, Black, and White patrons who all happily mingled together, effectively creating a tolerant space in a racially charged era.